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Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

Arguably the toughest road trip of the season with 2 back-to-backs against
some of the league's best, and the Pacers came away 3-2. That is no small
accomplishment. Everything considered, those loses in Portland and OKC are
quite excusable. The Pacers are still very tough, and I am proud of how well
they handled this road trip. It's nice to have them home again.

Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

Lances play of late is wh there debate about whether granger should start or not when hes back

Danny being the starter has always been more about Danny being healthy than anything else. If Danny is healthy and back to 100%, then he will be the starter because he is the better player. If Danny is not healthy and is back at 50%, he will be a 3D guy and Lance will start.

JMO, but the coaching staff knows who will be where in the rotation when Danny gets back. That question is settled.

Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

Easy to never miss when the opponents isn't playing good defense. Pacers defense wasn't anywhere near what it normally is

To me, this was the total key to the game. We were a little too stubborn to switch up our defensive model when it was clear it wasn't working. The single coverage of Westbrook and Durant just wasn't getting it done, and with Thabo out there, we could've afforded a little extra pressure on those two.

They had no problem double and even triple teaming Hibbert and PG to good effect last night. They have multiple, explosive scorers on their team.

We need to build a little stronger of a repertoire of alternative defensive schemes in those circumstances. We didn't try zone, double coverage, or anything different than the old usual. When getting spanked like we did last night, there's no shame in trying something different.

Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

If you read the OKC media reports from the game and some of his teammates comments, Durant was sick and tired of hearing how good PG is, so he was ready from the opening tip to show that PG isn't better than Durant.

Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

To me, this was the total key to the game. We were a little too stubborn to switch up our defensive model when it was clear it wasn't working. The single coverage of Westbrook and Durant just wasn't getting it done, and with Thabo out there, we could've afforded a little extra pressure on those two.

They had no problem double and even triple teaming Hibbert and PG to good effect last night. They have multiple, explosive scorers on their team.

We need to build a little stronger of a repertoire of alternative defensive schemes in those circumstances. We didn't try zone, double coverage, or anything different than the old usual. When getting spanked like we did last night, there's no shame in trying something different.

Just my $0.02.

Yeah they did. They started switching pretty much every screen, which isn't the Pacer norm at all.

What if someone from a school of business or management school were to ask, How did you do this? How did you get the Pacers turned around? Is there a general approach you've taken that can be summarized?

Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

If you read the OKC media reports from the game and some of his teammates comments, Durant was sick and tired of hearing how good PG is, so he was ready from the opening tip to show that PG isn't better than Durant.

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Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

Single covering a team w/ 2 dead weight (offensively) starters isn't really a good idea. Also, starting Lance on Durant was an epic disaster. Durant on the post should be doubled pretty much immediately, never leave Westbrook or Ibaka open, the only way Ibaka hurts offensively is giving him those open jumpers, he has no post game or anything really atm.

"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."

Well teams that can hit that mid range jumper present a big issue for our defensive scheme. I don't that we'll change much, maybe just matchups. It would be nice if Lance could evolve to cover Westbrook by the end of this season. G. Hill is at a size disadvantage in that matchup

Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

Well teams that can hit that mid range jumper present a big issue for our defensive scheme. I don't that we'll change much, maybe just matchups. It would be nice if Lance could evolve to cover Westbrook by the end of this season. G. Hill is at a size disadvantage in that matchup

That is what will most likely happen, Heat vs OKC finals, Wade guarded Westbrook, while they hid Chalmers on Thabo.

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Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

OKC outshoots us percentage-wise every time we played in the last 3 years (as far back as I checked)...they've also out-rebounded us every game, by a significant number in each game except one, which was the only one we won.

As long as we're all about hotfooting it back on defense and not crashing the boards for offensive rebounds, I don't see how we can beat these guys with any regularity.

What if someone from a school of business or management school were to ask, How did you do this? How did you get the Pacers turned around? Is there a general approach you've taken that can be summarized?

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Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

Pacers were mentally weak in this game. A guy like Westbrook you have to mentally frustrate into making bad plays, you gotta beat him up alittle bit away from the ball. He hates being bodied up, and will retaliate by throwing his guy out of the way and picking up the offensive fouls. Every bad game i've seen of Westbrook has been a result of him throwing a temper tantrum from the whistles he gets for being too aggressive.

There was one play where OKC moved the ball all the around the court, and the Pacers were actually defending it quite well taking away all the options, and they forced a jumper late in the clock, Westbrook curled in from the 3 point line got a put back dunk over Hill who never laid a finger on him prior to the shot going up.
Pacers never really attacked them, and by golly Lance needs to step it up big time. What is he doing out there if he isn't going to attack the rim and get some fouls.

Honestly though, when both Durant and Westbrook are making tough shots, then they usually going to win pretty easy against anyone. Pacers made them take bunch of tough shots early, and they just kept knocking them down.

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Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

Oklahoma shot 70% (everything they flung at the basket went in) while we ranged from 15 - 30% (with tons of bricks, air balls, and inandouts). Our hesitation and exhaustion was apparent, and our frustration manifest. The reffing was tolerable and, for the most part, fair. The Oklahoma fans were exuberant but well-mannered. I kept looking for that third quarter switch to flip, but it became obvious to all the the light was burnt out. These guys need a real rest, and Miami's going to come out of the gate swinging for our jaw. I expect they'll triple team Roy, as OKC did. They'll be much more physically aggressive, and try to pound us into the cracks in the boards.

Re: Pacers/Thunder Postgame Thread 12/8/13

This ongoing rivalry, alongside Kevin Durant’s brilliant 36-point night in OKC’s thrashing of Indiana on Sunday evening, may have been why George went with Kevin Durant over LeBron James as the NBA’s toughest player to cover. From Scott Agness at the Pacers’ website:

“It is,” he said. “It is a tougher matchup. I watch their games, I watch a lot of NBA games. And offensively, KD is most of the times he’s scoring in bunches off of iso plays and one-on-one plays.

“And when they play against us, he’s moving a lot. He’s the screener, he’s getting back-screened and he’s coming off pin-downs and it’s a little different when I’m guarding him and it makes it a tougher cover.”

Understand that the NBA’s leading scorer wants nothing to do with talking about George’s praise, or anything having to do with the Pacers all-around swingman in the slightest. From Darnell Mayberry at the Oklahoman:

The day before the Thunder hosted Indiana, a certain topic of conversation was considered taboo inside the confines of Oklahoma City's practice facility.

Mayberry alsoreports that Durant played Sunday’s game with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, yelling “write about that!” at the press row when he left the contest with Oklahoma City up 20 points on the team with the NBA’s best record.Reserve guard Reggie Jackson also sensed something different with his team’s franchise player:

“He came out with a vengeance,” Thunder guard Reggie Jackson said of Durant. “I think he's tired of hearing about it, too. Whatever got him going, though, I'm happy we got the win.”

This is the price George has to pay for acting as the go-to guy on the NBA’s Next Great Team. The Pacers took their Game 7 loss to the Heat last season to heart over the summer, and sprinted out of the 2013-14 gate with a vengeance this season – winning 18 of their first 20 before falling to Oklahoma City. That run was admirable enough, but it got the rest of the league’s attention in ways both good and bad.